Booking policies

The booking policy is what a client accepts before booking: deposit, card on file, free-cancellation window, late and no-show fees, notice. Tuppence words it in plain English and the booking keeps those words, so a later, stricter policy never applies to it.

	Default policy
Deposit	None
Card on file	Never asked for
Cancelling	Free up to 24 hours before, then 50% of the price
Not turning up	50% of the price
Moving a booking	Up to 24 hours before
Notice	At least 60 minutes; bookable up to 90 days ahead
New bookings	Confirmed at once
Slots	Held 10 minutes while booking; start every 15 minutes
Charging fees, marking no-shows	By you; nothing is automatic

Change it

Dashboard: Booking policy groups the fields into When they book, Cancelling and not turning up, Notice, approval and slots, Your own terms and Blocked clients. What a client reads previews the words for a £45.00$45.00€45.00 service as you type. Save policy makes a new version.

API: POST /v1/booking_policy takes any field; the rest carry over. POST /v1/booking_policy/render returns the words for an amount or a service:

# A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
curl -sS https://api.tuppence.ai/v1/booking_policy \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"deposit": {"type": "percent", "value": 20, "refundable": true},
       "card_required": "new_clients",
       "cancellation": {"free_until_hours": 48, "late_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 50}},
       "no_show_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 100}}' | jq .version

# What a client reads, for a £45.00 visit.
curl -sS https://api.tuppence.ai/v1/booking_policy/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"amount": 4500}' | jq -r .text

# A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
curl -sS https://api.tuppence.ai/v1/booking_policy \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"deposit": {"type": "percent", "value": 20, "refundable": true},
       "card_required": "new_clients",
       "cancellation": {"free_until_hours": 48, "late_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 50}},
       "no_show_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 100}}' | jq .version

# What a client reads, for a $45.00 visit.
curl -sS https://api.tuppence.ai/v1/booking_policy/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"amount": 4500}' | jq -r .text

# A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
curl -sS https://api.tuppence.ai/v1/booking_policy \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"deposit": {"type": "percent", "value": 20, "refundable": true},
       "card_required": "new_clients",
       "cancellation": {"free_until_hours": 48, "late_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 50}},
       "no_show_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 100}}' | jq .version

# What a client reads, for a €45.00 visit.
curl -sS https://api.tuppence.ai/v1/booking_policy/render \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"amount": 4500}' | jq -r .text

import { Tuppence } from "@tuppence/node";

const tuppence = new Tuppence(process.env.TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY);

// A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
const policy = await tuppence.bookingPolicy.update({
  deposit: { type: "percent", value: 20, refundable: true },
  card_required: "new_clients",
  cancellation: { free_until_hours: 48, late_fee: { type: "percent", value: 50 } },
  no_show_fee: { type: "percent", value: 100 },
});
console.log("version", policy.version);

// What a client reads, for a £45.00 visit.
const words = await tuppence.bookingPolicy.render({ amount: 4500 });
console.log(words.text);

import { Tuppence } from "@tuppence/node";

const tuppence = new Tuppence(process.env.TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY);

// A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
const policy = await tuppence.bookingPolicy.update({
  deposit: { type: "percent", value: 20, refundable: true },
  card_required: "new_clients",
  cancellation: { free_until_hours: 48, late_fee: { type: "percent", value: 50 } },
  no_show_fee: { type: "percent", value: 100 },
});
console.log("version", policy.version);

// What a client reads, for a $45.00 visit.
const words = await tuppence.bookingPolicy.render({ amount: 4500 });
console.log(words.text);

import { Tuppence } from "@tuppence/node";

const tuppence = new Tuppence(process.env.TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY);

// A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
const policy = await tuppence.bookingPolicy.update({
  deposit: { type: "percent", value: 20, refundable: true },
  card_required: "new_clients",
  cancellation: { free_until_hours: 48, late_fee: { type: "percent", value: 50 } },
  no_show_fee: { type: "percent", value: 100 },
});
console.log("version", policy.version);

// What a client reads, for a €45.00 visit.
const words = await tuppence.bookingPolicy.render({ amount: 4500 });
console.log(words.text);

import os
from tuppence import Tuppence

tuppence = Tuppence(os.environ["TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY"])

# A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
policy = tuppence.booking_policy.update(
    deposit={"type": "percent", "value": 20, "refundable": True},
    card_required="new_clients",
    cancellation={"free_until_hours": 48, "late_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 50}},
    no_show_fee={"type": "percent", "value": 100},
)
print("version", policy.version)

# What a client reads, for a £45.00 visit.
words = tuppence.booking_policy.render(amount=4500)
print(words.text)

import os
from tuppence import Tuppence

tuppence = Tuppence(os.environ["TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY"])

# A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
policy = tuppence.booking_policy.update(
    deposit={"type": "percent", "value": 20, "refundable": True},
    card_required="new_clients",
    cancellation={"free_until_hours": 48, "late_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 50}},
    no_show_fee={"type": "percent", "value": 100},
)
print("version", policy.version)

# What a client reads, for a $45.00 visit.
words = tuppence.booking_policy.render(amount=4500)
print(words.text)

import os
from tuppence import Tuppence

tuppence = Tuppence(os.environ["TUPPENCE_SECRET_KEY"])

# A 20% deposit, two days' free cancellation, and a card from new clients.
policy = tuppence.booking_policy.update(
    deposit={"type": "percent", "value": 20, "refundable": True},
    card_required="new_clients",
    cancellation={"free_until_hours": 48, "late_fee": {"type": "percent", "value": 50}},
    no_show_fee={"type": "percent", "value": 100},
)
print("version", policy.version)

# What a client reads, for a €45.00 visit.
words = tuppence.booking_policy.render(amount=4500)
print(words.text)

Output:

A deposit of 20% (£9.00) is taken when you book and comes off your bill. It is refunded if you cancel more than 2 days before.
New clients are asked for a card to hold the booking. Nothing is charged unless you cancel late or don't turn up.
Cancel free of charge up to 2 days before. After that, a late-cancellation fee of 50% (£22.50) applies.
If you don't turn up, a fee of 100% (£45.00) applies.
You can move your booking up to 24 hours before.
If Bella's Barks cancels, your deposit is refunded in full and no fee is ever due.

A deposit of 20% ($9.00) is taken when you book and comes off your bill. It is refunded if you cancel more than 2 days before.
New clients are asked for a card to hold the booking. Nothing is charged unless you cancel late or don't turn up.
Cancel free of charge up to 2 days before. After that, a late-cancellation fee of 50% ($22.50) applies.
If you don't turn up, a fee of 100% ($45.00) applies.
You can move your booking up to 24 hours before.
If Bella's Barks cancels, your deposit is refunded in full and no fee is ever due.

A deposit of 20% (€9.00) is taken when you book and comes off your bill. It is refunded if you cancel more than 2 days before.
New clients are asked for a card to hold the booking. Nothing is charged unless you cancel late or don't turn up.
Cancel free of charge up to 2 days before. After that, a late-cancellation fee of 50% (€22.50) applies.
If you don't turn up, a fee of 100% (€45.00) applies.
You can move your booking up to 24 hours before.
If Bella's Barks cancels, your deposit is refunded in full and no fee is ever due.

render also returns mandate_description (shown when saving a card: what it may be charged for), deposit_amount, late_fee_amount, no_show_fee_amount and the snapshot a new booking would keep. Send draft with the same fields to preview unsaved changes.

The fields

Field	Values
`deposit`	`{type, value, refundable}`. `type`: `none`; `fixed` (minor units, ≤ the price); `percent` (1–100, rounded down to the penny); `full`. `refundable` (default true) refunds it if the client cancels in time; keep a non-refundable deposit small.
`card_required`	`never`, `new_clients` (first booking with you), `always`, or `over_amount` (above `card_required_over_amount`).
`card_after_no_shows`	1–10: clients with that many no-shows must save a card to book online, overriding `card_required`. `null` (default) never asks.
`cancellation`	`free_until_hours` (0–8,760; 0 charges every cancellation) and `late_fee`; send either alone.
`late_fee`, `no_show_fee`	`{type, value}`: `none`, `fixed` (minor units) or `percent` (1–100, rounded up to the penny).
`reschedule_until_hours`	Latest a client can move their booking (0–8,760). You always can.
`min_notice_minutes`, `max_advance_days`	Minimum notice (0–43,200 min) and furthest ahead (1–730 days).
`approval_mode`	`instant`, or `request`: you approve or decline each booking, which lapses after `approval_window_hours` (1–168).
`hold_minutes`	Slot hold while a client books and pays (5–60).
`slot_interval_minutes`, `slot_mode`	Starts every 5–120 minutes (multiple of 5). `smart` also offers existing bookings’ end times, avoiding gaps.
`auto_charge`, `auto_no_show`, `charge_balance_after`	Charge fees automatically, mark no-shows automatically, charge the balance after the visit if the client opts in. All off by default; see Deposits and no-shows.
`terms_text`	Your terms (≤ 2,000 characters), shown after Tuppence’s. `null` clears them.
`blocked_message`	Shown to a blocked client booking online, ≤ 500 characters. `null` restores ours.

A fee is never more than the price

Rule	Why / what happens
A percentage fee is ≤ 100; a fixed fee is never charged above the visit’s price	The CMA’s unfair-terms guidance (CMA37) limits a cancellation charge to the business’s actual loss, at most the slot’s price
Over the limit	`400 parameter_invalid` with the reason (shown beside the field in the dashboard)
You cancel	Full refund, including any non-refundable deposit, and no fee, whatever the policy. Every client’s accepted words say so
You moved a booking inside the client’s window without `consented`	No fee is owed

A booking keeps what its client accepted

Each change makes a new version (GET /v1/booking_policy/versions, newest first). A booking’s policy_snapshot keeps the version, fields, words and card mandate its client accepted. Fees, fee receipts (which quote the sentence) and dispute evidence use the snapshot.

Different terms for one service

A long colour or tattoo can need stricter terms than a cut. A service’s policy_override (POST /v1/services/{id}) replaces any client-facing field: deposit, card_required, card_required_over_amount, card_after_no_shows, cancellation, no_show_fee, reschedule_until_hours, min_notice_minutes, max_advance_days, approval_mode, terms_text.

{ "policy_override": { "deposit": { "type": "fixed", "value": 5000, "refundable": false } } }

POST /v1/booking_policy/render with service previews the merge at the service’s price. Overrides are API-only; the dashboard edits the account policy.

Deposits and no-shows: collecting and charging.
The Bookings API: taking a booking under the policy.

Booking policies

Change it

The fields

A fee is never more than the price

A booking keeps what its client accepted

Different terms for one service

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